"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
-- Sinclair Lewis

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Win A Signed Copy Of Dan Levitin's Newest Book, The Organized Mind

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Have you read any of Dan Levitin's books? Most people who have heard of him know him for his groundbreaking first book, This Is Your Brain On Music, which sold over a million copies and spent 18 months on the New York Times bestseller list. Now, with The Organized Mind, his third consecutive NY Times bestseller, Levitin brings the latest findings from brain science to questions of how to better organize our time, our homes and workplaces, social relationships, and decision making. He artfully weaves a narrative that includes insights from a number of highly successful people who have become expert at navigating the deluge of information we all face-- CEOs of some of the world’s largest corporations, military leaders, rock stars, Nobel prize-winners, and politicians. Named best book of the year by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, it has been featured frequently on NPR, CBS' This Morning, BBC, the NYTimes, and was the focal point of a new TED talk with 2 million views.Levitin, a top American neuroscientist and distinguished Professor of psychology and behavioral neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal has been informally advising Rep. Alan Grayson, a powerhouse member of Congress' Science and Technology Committee, and last week we introduced him to Ted Lieu to discuss learning and cognition in young children, the best way to help them learn a second language, and how to change K-12 curricula to help them become more creative and critical thinkers. Levitin was so enthused by Lieu's easy grasp of complex scientific findings that he asked Blue America if we'd like to help him raise some campaign funds for Lieu and Grayson. Ergo: this give-away of 4 personalized signed books from Dr. Levitin to you.Any contributions any time this weekend until Monday night at midnight to Lieu and Grayson on this page-- any amount-- will enter you into our little random drawing for one of the 5 autographed books we're going to give away. Levitin seemed exasperated with the tawdry "politics as usual" he's been seeing on TV and felt his interactions with Grayson and Lieu gave him hope for the future."After an entire season of listening to bloviating, obnoxious Republican candidates who are clearly in politics for personal gain," he told us this morning, "I was struck by how both Alan and Ted genuinely care about making our country great again, and seem to have no need for personal glorification. That’s refreshing! The other really interesting thing was how deep their knowledge is about such a wide range of issues-- defense, education, infrastructure, the economy, campaign finance reform, scientific and technological progress. I wish we had 435 of them.I just remembered that Grayson wrote a blurb for the latest book: "A how-to book on how to stay sane-- how to tamp down on that fire-hose of information and choices that we face each day, and direct it all toward our own goals and purposes. It’s an owner’s manual for your mind." And so did former Secretary of State George Schultz: "Combine genuine knowledge and scholarship with plain common sense and what do you get? A book that is really worth reading: Dan Levitin’s The Organized Mind. Even more surprising, so did General Stanley McChrystal: "There are surprising parallels between Levitin’s work and mine. Today’s environment in war, business, and just about everything else has increased in speed and complexity to the point where the essential quality required for success is adaptability. The Organized Mind provides the latest neuroscience on cognitive adaptability and how to apply it to so that leaders can excel. It is a tremendous achievement, and a must read for leaders at every level."Or as the Washington Post put it in their review,"From how not to lose your keys to how to decide when the risks of surgery are worth it, Levitin focuses on smart ways to process the constant flow of information the brain must deal with." Ted Lieu put it like this: "I love reading Daniel Levitin's The Organized Mind because it has given me new insights into how to think better and use time more efficiently. Some of our most precious resources are time and attention, and this book will help you maximize both. In other words, it will change your life."The page we're raising funds on, Worthy Incumbents includes 10 House members who have come through for working families and lived up to the hope we've had for them, like Grayson and Lieu.